New Total Loss Laws in Oregon
If we can get you a settlement of $1 more than the final offer from your insurance company, Oregon Law states that your appraisal costs may be reimbursed.
You have nothing to lose!
Unsatisfied with your insurance company’s offer on your loss? There may be a difference between what your insurance company is willing to pay you and the fair market value of your vehicle! You’re entitled to a fair settlement.
In an effort to urge Oregon residents and insurers about ‘new’ rights in the event that their car gets totaled in an accident, the state’s Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) issued a reminder last week.
Taking effect earlier this month, House Bill 2190 permits car owners to obtain more information for the purpose of greater leverage whenever a settlement for a totaled car is in the middle of the negotiation.
Learn more about the new law HERE!
New rights when your car is totaled
When Chris’ older sports model BMW was totaled in a collision, he began a two-month long, bewildering process of trying to negotiate the amount he should receive from his insurer for the car. The first offer, which was supposed to be based on the fair market value of the car before the damage, seemed low to Chris.
In the end, his automobile insurance company paid about $1,000 more than originally offered. But the Beaverton resident said he spent that much on the appraisals that resulted in the final offer. “After all the time and money I spent, it was a wash,” he said.
House Bill 2190, which took effect Jan. 1, 2010, will help consumers like Chris by giving them more information and leverage when negotiating a settlement for their totaled cars. The Department of Consumer and Business Services’ Insurance Division brought the bill to legislators in the 2009 session based on the hundreds of calls and complaints it receives annually from consumers whose cars are totaled.
From The Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services, The Insurance Division
January. 12, 2009
